What We Do

Angelus was founded in 2009 by Maryon Stewart, the health practitioner and author. Her 21 year-old daughter Hester (pictured), a medical student and athlete, passed away after consuming a legal high (GBL) in April 2009.

Angelus has since attracted a group of drug experts – the Angelus Advisory Board. This group brings together expertise from chemical, medical and behavioural sciences, as well as having considerable expertise in both the areas of enforcement and misuse of substances.

Our Mission Statement

To help everyone understand the dangers of ‘legal highs’, to reduce the harm they cause to young people and their families, and to save lives.

Our Aims and Objectives

We aim to become the acknowledged expert and knowledge centre on the subject of the dangers of legal highs and to maximise public understanding of the risks.

The Foundation’s Work

Angelus Foundation is committed to help raise awareness about the dangers of legal highs and party drugs and now have a group of experts to advise on its work programme. We develop online resources including short educative films to help young people re-assess the risk of taking these untested substances. We visit schools and universities to engage directly with people. We also aim to get information to parents to understand the issues and have conversations with their children about the dangers of ‘legal highs’.

We have several partners across the country who help us protect young people and their communities from the harms associated with these new substances.

We have supported the legal change to outlaw the supply of new psychoactive substances but the law can only achieve so much. It is vital it is complemented by a programme of education to demonstrate the risk of these ‘legal highs’ and prevent further harms.